Meeting of the Hearts
by Lady Silvertongue
Summary: FINISHED It has been one year since that dreadful day and Lyra is facing her first real visit to the stone bench. But something happens that she doesn't expect....
1. A voice

Title: **Meeting of the Hearts**

Author: Lady Silvertongue

Pairing: LS (looks a lot like my initials don't it? ;)/WP

Summary: It has been one year since that dreadful day and Lyra is facing her first real visit to the stone bench. But something happens that she doesn't expect...

A/N: Yay! At last I have finally made a fanfiction for the book that is my entire reason for delving into the wonderful world of fantasy novels!!!! Okay, I don't want to say much about this fic, because really there isn't much I can say.  
The only thing I want you to do (besides reading it of course) is just think really briefly about the end of the Amber Spyglass...just to get in the mood before you read this. Because I am very serious about this fiction and I hope that you are serious about reading it.  
Okay well, onto the story I guess...hope you enjoy.  
  
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**Meeting of the Hearts**  
  
It was finally the day. It was at last the day she had been yearning for, yet still, the day she had also been hoping would never come. Today was Midsummer's day. A promise of one year ago was waiting to be fulfilled. A promise that had plagued her dreams and her every waking thought since she had made it. He was all she could think about. Every second of every day was a parade of repeated memories running and ripping and tearing asunder through her mind. It hurt so much. Every time, she felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. She hoped he didn't hurt. She hoped he had moved on, even if she hadn't. The last thing in the world she wanted was for him to suffer. Just like she had suffered. Just like she still suffered.  
  
Lyra hung her head as she walked slowly down the small shaded path. She stared intently at her feet through a pool of tears threatening to spill from her puffy lids. She had waited so long for this day, and now she wasn't even sure she wanted it to happen. It was all just so unfair. She had done everything that had ever been asked of her. She had done everything, given everything to help bring the world at peace, yet in the end her reward was being denied the only think she asked for. She was denied forever the one and only true love of her heart. Her fist tightened, as the familiar anger began to engulf her again, like it had so many times before. Why the hell couldn't she be with him? Why did this all have to happen to her? Why her? But then her hand loosened, and her lower lip began to tremble. It wasn't just happening to her; it was happening to him too. Will was suffering every bit as much as she. He had been demanded just as many sacrifices as herself, and he had willingly given them just as she. They were so much alike in spirit and heart. It was as if they were destined to be together from the moment they had met, yet still destined to be apart from the moment they fell in love. Lyra sniffled meekly.  
  
Pantalaimon was draped around her neck as was his usual preference. He felt every bit of her wrenching sorrow and he wished desperately that there was something he could do. Pan nuzzled the girl's jaw affectionately. "Be brave Lyra," he whispered, and with another push against her neck he added a soft, "I love you."  
  
Lyra's throat was clenched too tight for her to manage an answer. So instead she dipped her head and kissed his fuzzy ear. She looked up, and all of a sudden, there it was. The little stone bench sat innocent and inviting under the plush green leaves of a wide Oak tree, its gray-washed granite surface reflecting the writhing, molding shadows of the branches above. Two little brown swallows landed suddenly on the arm of the bench. The pair tweeted and gibbered excitedly, clicking their hard yellow beaks as they bounced along on their spindly legs. A lazy breeze drifted by causing one of the tiny birds to flapped his wings furiously following immediately with a routine shake of the head and tired chirp. The other swallow watched her mate, beady black eyes appraising him warily and her dainty feathered head at a curious tilt. The wind picked up, announced by the soft rustle of leaves. And then, just like that, the two darling creatures were gone. They were swept into the wind and carried beyond the treetops still tweeting and chirping back and forth, weaving in and about each other with playful grace and fluidity.  
  
Lyra sank tentatively down onto the hard stone. She turned sideways and drew her knees into her chest. She desperately tried to choke back her tears as she slid one arm around her legs while resting the other on the back head of the bench. Pan mewed softly, cuddling closer against her warm skin. Lyra took a deep, long breath, letting it blow out slowly through her parted lips. She glanced over at her hand fingering the designs in the granite of the bench head. But when she took a breath to speak, her throat began to clench and tears sprang again to her eyes. "Hi Will," was all she could manage before bursting into wracking sobs. Lyra pillowed her head on her arms as she wept, the sighing wind tugging playfully at her golden locks.  
  
It was a good while later when Lyra at last got a hold of her of herself. She gave a mighty sniff and wiped her hand beneath her nose.  
  
"It's okay Lyra," Pan said. "Go ahead; I'm sure he's listening."  
  
Lyra nodded as she knuckled her eyes. "I know," she whispered. "I'm okay. I think I can do it now." Another soft sigh escaped her lips as she hooked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anyway...Will, I know you can't really hear me or anything, but for some reason this just feels like the right thing to do...I want you to know that I'm trying really hard at school. I really am, you would be proud of me Will, I know you would. I even found some new friends to sit on the roof with me, you know, like I did with Roger before...before..." Her voice cracked, and she quickly switched the subject. "Well there is this guy too. He likes me Will. He thinks I'm pretty and tells me all the time. He's pretty good looking I guess, but not near handsome as you Will. There isn't anyone in the world handsome as you." Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped gently from her chin as she chattered on. "He's nice too. He really is. I don't know what to do when he is around. He's always the one helping with all my mischief and so far, we've been loads of places I had never even thought of before. He makes me laugh a lot, like you used to Will. He is perfect...but..." It was getting harder and harder to maintain control of her sobs. Her stomach ached from holding it all in. "But it's too soon!" She wailed. "I know it's been a whole year, but it's too soon! I want to move on Will, I do. I'm trying so hard!" She was fighting to get her words out before she dissolved again into a pitiful puddle. "I can't stop loving you Will! I can't! I try so hard, but....I just...can't stop loving you...."  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
Lyra's head shot up, tears still streaming from her crystal eyes. "Who's there," she demanded. The mysterious voice sounded almost like an echo in her mind.  
  
"Lyra please don't cry. I don't like it when you cry."  
  
Lyra gasped and began trembling violently. She sputtered, trying to say something, but no words came. That voice...She was dreaming, she had to be dreaming. There was no way...  
  
"Lyra, you don't ever need to stop loving me."  
  
"Will?" she whispered so softly even Pan had trouble hearing the word. "Will...is it really you?"  
  
"Yes Lyra, and I –"  
  
He was cut off as Lyra shot from her seat and looked wildly around screaming frantically. "Will! Will where are you?! Please Will, don't play games with me, where are you hiding?!"  
  
His voice was painful as it echoed softly in her mind. "I'm not there Lyra...I'm still here, in my world...I'm sorry."  
  
Lyra dropped back onto the little bench curling up against the arm rest. "B-but you...you're talking to me. I can hear you." Her breathing was rapid and stressed. "I'm going crazy, I've finally cracked, I – "  
  
"Lyra!" Will screamed. "Hush," he said in a softer tone. "Hush, it's okay. Really, just settle down for a minute and I'll explain all of this to you."  
  
"Will is that really you?" she asked again. She couldn't help it. This was just too crazy for her to believe.  
  
He chuckled softly. "Yes, yes it really is. I promise you aren't going crazy Lyra. I'm sure that you are still quite sane, or at least as sane as you were the last time I saw you."  
  
"Thanks a lot," she muttered, still very skeptical of the entire thing. She was just too emotionally battered to really comprehend what was happening. Her brain wasn't processing fast enough for her to be fully aware of what was real and what wasn't.  
  
"I was kidding Lyra, you know I was...sorry, I know this is a lot to handle...here, let me just start at the beginning okay?"  
  
Lyra nodded, only seconds later figuring that Will probably couldn't see her so she instead answered with a meek, "Okay." There was a long pause before she heard Will draw breath to speak.  
  
"Okay, I don't really know how to explain this exactly because, well, I don't really know all the facts about how this is...." Will trailed off. "It's the Angels," he whispered simply. "I don't know how they did it Lyra, I really don't. They just came to me as I was sitting here...waiting for you on this bench."  
  
Lyra thought she could hear him rake his hand through his dark locks, and she almost smiled...almost.  
  
"I swear they came down from the sky just like...just like they did that day..." He paused in silence for a moment before continuing. "At first I didn't even know they were there...you know how they are, practically invisible right? Anyways, they told me that they were sent Lyra...sent by...well actually they didn't say." He sighed in frustration. "I didn't ask them...I'm sorry, I know how you like to know things, but Lyra, I was just so happy when they told me I could talk to you that I completely forgot. I didn't care who sent them because I could hear your voice in my head and nothing else in the world mattered to me. I just...oh no Lyra please don't cry again."  
  
Her breaths were ragged and labored as she tried to stem her tears. "I can't!" she gasped. "I'm sorry Will, I can't stop. I don't know how. I swear I'm trying..." She buried her face in the crook of her elbow. She said something but her voice was too muffled to make out. Will asked her what she said, and Lyra raised her head slowly, tears coursing down her dainty cheeks and dripping from her chin. The wind whipped her golden blonde hair around her delicate face as the soft shadows rippled around her. "I love you Will," she said. "I love you so much. Why did this happen? Why? What did we do? Why must we be the ones to suffer?"  
  
"I don't know Lyra...I don't understand either. But there is one thing that I do understand, and that is my feelings for you. They have never changed, nor will they, unless to grow in strength. I love you too Lyra. You know I do. I hold you dearest to my heart and I wish that things were different, with every fiber of my being I do...but there just isn't –"  
  
"Don't say it!" She screamed. "Please Will, I couldn't bear it if you...if you said it so finally like that. I mean...look we're speaking now right? That means there's hope! You know we can figure something out! We can! We have to! We..." She stopped suddenly. Realization took hold of her and the cold tendrils of loneliness and despair crept over her body. "It really is hopeless...isn't it?" She heard a choked sob that was quickly stifled. She could hear Will trying to regain his composure. She could hear everything he did. It was amazing really. She could hear him breathing, moving...and if she really listened, she could even hear his heart beating. Oh how she missed that heart beat. How she missed the feel of her face against his chest as they lay by the river on that wonderful night, his heart pounding beneath her cheek. How she wished to be encircled in his powerful arms again, his tender hand stroking the hair from her brow and his handsome face smiling down into hers. "Will I –"  
  
"Let's just..." he took another deep breath. "Can we just talk about something else for a little while?"  
  
"Yes we can," she said softly.  
  
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A/N: Well that's it for Chapter one. Chapter two coming soon...are you excited?


	2. Farewell

A/N: WOW! I don't think I have ever taken this much time to update something....SORRY!!! Eeek I feel so bad about it, but I am having SO much trouble juggling all the stories I'm doing right now!

But the good (or I guess bad news for those that liked this story) is that this is the last chapter. Yes, I know it wasn't very long...actually incredibly short, but actually it went on way longer than I initially intended it to. There goes my pencil running away with me again ;)

Oh and thanks so much guys for all the awesome feedback! I feel so touched that you guys took all that time to really think about this and write really great reviews! Unfortunately though I love all the ideas y'all put in (I'm Texan, sorry I can't help it) I was too far along when I read the reviews to incorporate any of the suggestions into the fic tear

But I really appreciate them all nonetheless!  
  
READ THESE NEXT PARAGRAPHS PLEASE!!!!  
  
Um really quickly I wanted to address some of the things that were brought up. One thing I remember is someone mentioning about Kirjava right? Don't worry I never forgot about her, it's just that this entire story is done in Lyra's perspective, and if you remember, daemons never speak to anyone but their own masters...at least I'm pretty sure...sorry guys if you wanted to hear from her, but I really don't know how I would put her in there.  
  
Another thing I think I read in a review was that Lyra was supposed to have grown and everything, and that she shouldn't be doing childish stuff like playing on the roofs. Then someone also said that I shouldn't have put in that bit of the 'other boy'. Hmm now how to respond to that...GREAT observations by the way...

Okay, I think that while yes, Lyra did grow, I also think that this separation between her and Will might have made her want something familiar you know? That she might feel safer doing things that she always did, things that actually _hadn't_ changed...you get what I'm saying? And about the 'other boy'...I actually don't even know myself about that. I really have been in an internal debate ever since I read that and I still haven't really come up with an answer to whether that might happen or not. Because the point really of the other boy was so that you guys knew that Lyra was having so much trouble getting over Will. You know, that opportunity had presented itself but she still couldn't force herself to take it.  
  
God, I really have rambling issues sorry! Anyways, here is the final chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy it. It is a bit short, but I was hoping to wrap it up in less time, because I was just DYING to post something new. Even so, I put a lot of work into it! So remember to read and review!!! You now know how much I love those reviews!!!  
  
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Meeting of the Hearts:

**Chapter 2**  
  
"So..." He cleared his throat. "What about this uh, mischief you were telling me about? I hope you haven't snuck into anymore wardrobes."  
  
Lyra laughed, and she liked think that he was smiling too even if she couldn't see him. "Oh no, don't worry. I don't think I will ever be hiding in another one of those again. Too dusty I think."  
  
This time Will was the one to chuckle. "Okay, so if that's not your style anymore, what have you been doing?"  
  
"Oh lots of stuff Will. You wouldn't believe some of the fixes I can get myself into sometimes."  
  
"Oh really?" he gasped. "I can't imagine you getting into trouble."  
  
Lyra stuck her tongue out at him. It took a second before she remembered he wasn't there. Her heart sank and, feeling very stupid, she decided to change the subject. "Well yes, I am quite the trouble maker. But what about you Will? It's been an entire year and you're just as good as me at getting into hopeless fixes."  
  
"I suppose you could say that...but as for trouble, I really haven't been doing much of anything. I am living with Mary right now, until I can find somewhere else...I think I might be able to look up a relative of my mother's or something or something. Mom's doing a lot better by the way. She's even talking again."  
  
Lyra could just hear the smile on his lips and her heart sang for him. He loved his mother so much and she was so happy for him.  
  
"Mary got me a job at her office doing some minor paper work while I look for something better...I think we're going to be alright."  
  
Lyra heard him run his hand through his hair again, and this time, she smiled. She smiled a big, wide smile from the depths of her heart. She couldn't believe she was talking to him at last. It had been so long, and it was rapture just being able to hear his voice again. "That sounds really nice Will...I'm happy for you."  
  
"But it's so hard Lyra," he choked suddenly. "I swear I haven't gone a night without dreaming of you. You are all I think of every second of every day...Lyra I love you so much." His breathing was ragged, but gradually slowing as he fought for words. "I say that I am making all this progress. I mean I told you that I have a job and I'm going to school but...but I just can't help but feel that it's all for nothing if I can't share it with you."  
  
Lyra's smile fell. So he was still hurting just as much as her. He still suffered like she. Oh God how her heart now ached for him. How she wished she could just hold him close even if for one last time. Both Lyra and Will were silent for a long time. After a while Lyra opened her mouth but was interrupted when Will let out a heart-wrenching moan.  
  
"No! Please," he cried. "Just a little longer please!"  
  
Time froze and Lyra's heart plummeted. Icy dread crept up her spine, and something twisted painfully in her gut. The angels...their time was ending. "NO!" Lyra wailed. "Will! No! Don't go! Please! Please tell the angels! Make them give us a little longer!"  
  
"It's so hard for them Lyra. I don't think they can hold it much longer." He paused only long enough for a gasping sob. "God I love you Lyra. You have to know that! I love you so much! But –"  
  
"NO! No, don't say goodbye!" she screamed frantically. Tears burst forth anew. Her whole body wracked with her choking sobs. "Please don't say goodbye! Not yet! Not now!"  
  
"You are the most beautiful person I have ever met Lyra." Wills voice was starting to fade. "I love everything about you. Your spirit, your passion...your love."  
  
"I love you! Please don't go! I love you!" Lyra beat her fists bloody against the hard granite of the bench. "I don't have a reason to live without you!" A furious blind rage began to envelope her. "Don't you dare leave now! I was almost ready to give up on a happy life Will! But then you came and gave me hope! You made me think that we could...that we could..."  
  
"Lyra..." His voice was barely a whisper now. "Please go on...please try to be happy..."  
  
"No...no...no," she kept muttering.  
  
"Just remember. You don't ever have to stop loving me...nor forget me. But you just can't let me get in the way...of new...love..."  
  
"I'll love you always and forever," she said one last time.  
  
"As...will...I...light...of...mine...," she heard him whisper for the very last time before his heart beat, his breathing, his voice...left.  
  
The world was a dreadful place. Pan was curled into a tight little ball in her lap. Through all of her screaming and panic, she hadn't even heard his mournful cries. He just lay there shivering, weeping as best he could. Lyra scooped him up in her arms and hugged him close, murmuring softly that everything would be okay.  
  
Will was right. She didn't ever need to stop loving him. He would always have a special place in her heart. Always and forever is what she promised, and forever and always is what it would be. Lyra gave one last hearty sniff and wiped away her tears. Yes, she missed him. Yes, at the moment everything seemed hopeless. But there was always tomorrow. The next day always looked brighter than the last. Besides, she thought. They would always have this place, this bench. They could still be a part of each other's lives, if however small.  
  
Lyra stood and Pan, feeling lifted, clambered back onto her shoulder and wound himself around her neck. She didn't care how long it took to move on. She could take as much time as she wanted. The horizon was looking brighter by the minute. Even though the sun set, every time, it always rose again.  
  
"Until next time, Love," Lyra whispered. She kissed the tip of her finger and pressed it to the little stone bench. Then, after drinking in one long, last look, she turned and walked away down the shaded path, dreaming and wondering what the future had in store for her.  
  
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A/N: Mmm, well that's a wrap I guess. Thank you all for your thoughts and constructive criticism, they were much appreciated! I know I didn't address all of the comments in my reviews but I certainly did read them!  
I hope you enjoyed my humble little fic, and I really wish to know your input. Have a nice day everybody, and Philip Pullman rocks!!!!


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